Official helps others remember the power of hurricanes

COMMUNICATION NEEDED FOR NATURAL EMERGENCIESThe chief of Texas Division Emergency Management spoke on the importance of communication during natural disasters at the conference.

Nim Kidd said he wants to improve communication with mayors and county judges to better understand their needs. He said that is why he added seven regional coordinator positions.

Kidd had a conversation with his audience - law enforcement, fire, health care and other local personnel - as he spoke.

WHERE AM I? Those trying to track down their loved ones in the course of a natural disaster have a tool to help them.

Radiant RFID has contracted with the state to provide wristbands equipped with a barcode that allows people to locate their family members. The devices have an antenna in them so when people walk through a portal, they will automatically be logged into the system.

The devices were on display at the MidCoast Hurricane Conference in Victoria.

The wind gush sounded like jets taking off, and water flooded a hotel lobby, bringing a car along with it.

All this occurred at the Victoria Community Center as John Metz, warning coordinator meteorologist with the National Weather Service, demonstrated to people the power of hurricanes.

"We must be prepared. We must never forget Hurricane Carla," said Metz, in reference to the category 4 hurricane that struck near Port Lavaca in 1961.

Metz spoke on Thursday at the MidCoast Hurricane Conference. He showed pictures and videos of past hurricanes and detailed the damage that Carla caused: 2 feet of water in Port Lavaca, tornadoes, snakes and destruction throughout the Midcoast of Texas.

He explained how improved satellites, radars and hurricane hunters have helped safety efforts. However, there is increased development where Hurricane Carla hit, meaning more people will need to be evacuated should another major storm arrive.

And not everyone in the area respects hurricanes as they should because there hasn't been a major hurricane here in 50 years.

One video that Metz showed had a woman happily saying during a storm that her group was the only ones still left in the area, making the audience laugh.

Metz said that Hurricane Carla gave survivors "a respect for the storm."